CDRLabs.com

Toshiba today announced the world's first slim HD DVD drive for notebook PCs that can read and write to HD DVD, standard DVD and CD discs. Sample shipments of the new drive, SD-L902A, are scheduled to start by the end of this year.

SD-L902A integrates a blue-violet laser diode that can read and write to HD DVD-R discs and that offers support for high-density HD DVD-ROM discs, including high definition movie and video images. The drive also offers the functionality of a super multi-drive, with high performance, high-speed read and write to all flavors of standard DVD and CD discs.

At only 12.7 millimeters in height, SD-L902A meets the stringent space specifications for slim drives integrated into highly portable notebook PCs. This is due in part to HD DVD discs having the physical structure as standard DVD, allowing use of an optical pick-up head with only a single objective lens. The result is a space-saving solution, and a drive able to read and write to HD DVD-R discs, to read HD DVD-ROM discs, and to read and write to standard DVD and CD discs.

High definition digital media are fast moving into the mainstream. Digital broadcasting is replacing analogue, and consumers are increasingly buying large screen, high definition TVs. More and more people are also using digital video, and want a platform for editing and working on their material. This trend is also spurring demand for PCs with high definition optical drive capabilities, a demand that Toshiba meets with the SD-L902A.